Deep Fighter

Can Ubi's follow-up to the underwater PC title Subculture end up as the sleeper hit of the Summer?

With as long as video games have been around, you'd think that more of them would have been set beneath the waves of the ocean. As fantastic an idea that underwater civilizations are, it's amazing to me just how few developers have actually taken advantage of it. In fact over the last decade or so, the total number of dancing games have outweighed digital settings in the deep ten-fold. What was the big deal? Was there some sort of taboo?

Lately however things have been looking up for admirers of the aquatic realm. With titles like Ecco the Dolphin and Seaman already out to moderate fanfare, it's as perfect time as any for Ubisoft's Deep Fighter to swim into the spotlight. Set in your typical science-fictionesque "us against them" atmosphere, the intricate story line seems to be taken directly out of a Summer blockbuster. And though the game is not without it's flaws, Deep Fighter is definitely one of the better games that nobody's heard of.

Based on the little known adventure game Subculture for the PC, Deep Fighter borrows from that game rather heavily. Using most of the equipment and minerals from its inspiration (like the OR System and Thorium crystals), migrating players from the computer disc will surely feel right at home. If you're unfamiliar with the sub-level universe however, there is still no need to worry, as Deep Fighter is extremely easy to get into (and even easier to handle).

Set in a war-torn community hidden beneath the sea, Deep Fighter requires you to pilot different submarines and accomplish certain plot-based missions. Whether or not you succeed in a certain mission can often affect your progress and access to bigger and better equipment. With an ultimate goal of building the Leviathan Mother Ship to fly your people out of hostile territory, you'll want to succeed in your tasks as quickly as possible. Of course, natures own hap hazards and your mysterious mortal enemies the Shadowkin have other plans...

To combat your foes you are provided with an impressive amount of weaponry and work tools. Ranging anywhere from heat-seeking missiles to stun darts (for subduing the local sea life), your inventory is managed rather effectively, and using your equipment is as easy as pressing either the left or right shoulder buttons. Played from both a first-person perspective (for a big chunk of the action), and a third-person behind the ship view (usually when hauling cargo), it wouldn't be outrageous to say that the game is an underwater version of Colony Wars.

Not quite as expansive as the aforementioned space shooter, the two disc adventure is still pretty big. With almost forty scenarios and six larger than huge environenments, you aren't going to conquer it on that lonely Sunday afternoon. And even though similar games that have come before it may have had a greater amount of levels and increased play time, I can't think of a one that was as diverse as Deep Fighter.

Evading the run-of-the-mill "seek and destroy" setup, DF challenges you to think as much as you blast. Proposing various missions that will see you breeding fish, activating perimeter defenses, and even racing your wingmen in attempts to test out new engine modifications, Ubi Soft and Criterion's least advertised Dreamcast jaunt is as "deep" as the moniker says. There's even a couple of Intense boss fights thrown in every couple of missions or so, and just like the olden days of 16-Bit, they'll push you as much as they wow you.

Seemingly impossible now to create an ugly looking game with Sega's platform, Deep Fighter continues the trend with tightrope-like graphics. Super-detailed textures and ass-kicking water effects help to create a fantastic and believable marine land. Enemy subs, gigantic fish, gargantuan jelly-fish queens, and even rocky seabed canyons are extremely easy on the eyes. The only real gripe I had is that since the game takes place underwater, a lot of the areas can end up appearing the same. Repetitive or not, you can't deny how good it looks.

In fact, Deep Fighter does just about everything extremely well. In addition to the simple control, overly creative missions, and the pleasant eye massage, the soundtrack too is top notch. Equivalent to any oceanic movie you've seen in the last twenty years, the score is sporting some serious kick. The game's composer, Richard Beddow is in dire need of congratulations. I just find it unfortunate that the voice acting doesn't quite live up to the same standard.

Speaking of actors, this game has them... and not just in the vocal sense. With full motion video cut-scenes straight out of old the PlayStation cinepak examples Warhawk and Disruptor, the cheese factor is at an all-time high. Most of the people they selected for the characters always have their mouths open in a "Good lord! That was some hot salsa and I need to air out my pie-hole before my tongue melts" kind of a gaze. Some of the interludes can be damn entertaining, but that's not because of the quality...

Curiously, I did stumble upon a bug or two during the course of play. The first one occurred when I was defending the Mother Ship construction site from Shadowkin scouts, There were four of them on my screen and I quickly demolished two of them... when all of a sudden, the other two disappeared. Strangely, the event music was still playing and although I explored the entire area for more enemies there were none to be found and I was apparently stuck in the mission with no way out because of a glitch. Odd.

The other programming qualm I had came in the form of sound effects and voices. Occasionally my weapon's fire noise and the admiral's speech pattern would go into high speed mode. Without warning it his instructions to me had become incoherent... I reset and tried again, and they were fine. Perhaps another week in the lab could have fixed these little problems?

On the whole though, I sincerely enjoyed my experiences with Deep Fighter. Simple and complex at the same time, the relaxing atmosphere and intelligent mission structure had me yearning for retries at failed scenarios hours after bed time. An enjoyable little diversion from the bigger named titles of the world, Deep Fighter doesn't sink at all.